1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates to mausoleums and crypt structures and, more particularly, to mausoleums and lawn crypts constructed from interconnectable wall assemblies.
2. Description of the Invention Background
Mausoleums are aboveground structures that provide a plurality of vaults or chambers for entombment of corpses. A burial casket, usually constructed of wood, is typically inserted through an opening in one wall of the mausoleum into a chamber and the chamber is sealed with a cover arrangement. The cover usually comprises a marble face or granite plate that bears the name and dates of the deceased.
Below ground crypts, known as "lawn crypts", are constructed by excavating a pit in the earth and installing an arrangement of burial chambers therein. The burial chambers may be single tier or multi-tiered. Once the collection of burial chambers is constructed, each chamber is covered by a concrete lid and the lawn crypt is then covered with soil. When access to a particular burial chamber is desired, the soil is removed from atop a particular burial chamber to enable the lid to be removed. After the casket is placed into the chamber, the lid is replaced and the removed soil is pushed back into the excavation and leveled.
The construction of mausoleums and lawn crypts in the past has been an expensive and time consuming process. One method of constructing these structures involves the use of precasted concrete crypts that are formed off-site and trucked to the installation site. Depending upon the size of the crypts, large trucks may be required to transport those heavy structures. Such process may require that special transportation permits be secured before the walls can be transported to the site. Once at the site, large cranes or other similar equipment may be required to manipulate the walls into their proper orientation. Such installation process requires skilled labor and a substantial investment in heavy equipment.
Another method commonly employed to construct mausoleums and lawn crypts involves erecting forms, usually from wood, at the site and then pouring concrete into the forms to form the walls of the structure. Skilled labor is typically required to construct the appropriate forms, install the proper reinforcing members and then pour the concrete. When using this process to form a multilevel crypt or mausoleum, the forms for the first level are constructed and thereafter concrete is d therein. After the concrete has cured, the forms are removed from the walls and then re-erected at the top of the first level and the process is repeated for each level that is desired.
The reader will readily appreciate that such construction methods are time consuming and expensive. The skilled artisan will further appreciate that such methods must be carefully performed to ensure that adequate structural integrity is achieved. For example, excessive air pockets and voids in the concrete can compromise the structural integrity of the structure. Furthermore, concrete walls can have a rough texture if left uncovered which can tend to make them difficult to clean. In many aboveground installations, the concrete walls are covered with marble dressing materials to obviate such problems.
The manufacturers of mausoleums are also faced with other challenges. For example, overtime, caskets can deteriorate and emit body fluids and gases. Thus, to prevent perceptible leakage of odorous fluids and gasses from the mausoleum, each chamber must be provided with a vent and drainage system. In conventional construction methods, drain/vent pipes are installed within the wall forms and the concrete is then poured around them. Such installation process is time consuming. Furthermore, a drain/vent pipe is susceptible to becoming damaged during the pouring of the concrete. In severe cases, the pipe can snap rendering it useless for draining/venting purposes. In other installations, such pipes are supported along the wall exteriors.
After the drain pipes have been installed, passages are provided into the drain pipes from corresponding chambers. To prevent such fluids and gases from inadvertently leaking from a chamber, the chamber should be substantially "fluid-tight". Thus, the concrete walls must be held to relatively close tolerances to achieve fluid-tight seals between the walls and the chamber closure panels or lids. Often times, due to imperfections in the concrete pour, one or more chambers are not substantially fluid-tight. Thus, body gases and/or fluids can escape the chamber without passing through the drain/vent pipe. One method that has been employed to address such problem, involves placing each casket into a separate sealable bag or container. While such approach is somewhat effective for ensuring that body gases and fluids ultimately reach a drain/vent pipe, they add considerable expense to the entombment process.
Still more challenges typically face the personnel that place the caskets into the mausoleum. Most mausoleum chambers typically have one open end through which the casket must be inserted. To facilitate entry of the casket into the chamber, the casket must be slid on the concrete floor of the chamber. Such process is generally difficult and can result in inadvertent damage to the casket. One method that has been commonly employed to avoid that problem has been to place the casket on sections of round pipe which enable the casket to be "rolled" into the chamber. Such use of rollers is awkward and cumbersome.
Thus, there is a need for mausoleums and lawn crypts that are easy to construct and assemble without the need for a large skilled labor force.
There is a further need for mausoleums and lawn crypts that are economical to construct.
A need exists for mausoleums that have drainage and venting systems that are not susceptible to inadvertent damage during construction.
There is another need for materials for constructing mausoleums and lawn crypts that are easy to clean and maintain after installation.
Yet another need exists for construction materials for aboveground mausoleums that are aesthetically pleasing.
Still another need exists for a shelf arrangement for a mausoleum that facilitates easy inserting of a casket into a chamber without the use of rollers, etc.
Another need exists for a method of constructing mausoleums and lawn crypts wherein the use of reinforcement bars and similar materials is not necessarily required.